Henry croggon



(No Model.)

H; CROGGON.

SPONGE 0UP.

, Patented 001:. 8, 1889. @g/I UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY CROGGON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

SPONGE-CUP.

srncrrrcn'rron forming part of Letters-PiatntNo;412,604, dated October8, 1889. Application filed m 24, 1889. Serial No. 318,542. awn.)

To aZZ whom it may concern} Be it known that I, HENRY CROGGON, ofWashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sponge-Cups; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows aperspective view of my improved sponge-cup; Fig. 2, a plan view of thesame with the sponge removed; Fig. 3, a section on linear w of Fig. 2,and Fig. 4 a similar section of a modified form of the cup.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object ofmy invention is to provide an improved sponge-holding cupfor the use of money counters and handlers, and for other purposes; andto this end my invention consists in the cup with the parts thereofarii'ianged and constructed as hereinafter speci- In sponge-holders orholding cups as heretofore made for use by money handlers and countersand by other persons needing a moist sponge to dampen the fingers upon,it has been customary to have a simple cup of glass or pottery withitsjsides inclined upward and inward, so as to receive and hold a wetsponge. The objection to such cups, in which the sponge is in contactwith and engaged by the rim or upper edge, is that the water is apt toget from the sponge over the said edge and run down the cup sides. As inorder that the fingers may be moistened properly and most readily it isnecessary that the sponge should project above the retaining cup edge,it is obvious that when the sponge is pressed or squeezed at all, as bythe fingers of the user, some of the water in the sponge is very sure tobe forced out upon and over the cup edge to run down, as indicatedabove. On account of the natural expansion of a sponge when wet itssides are liable to spread out so as to overhang .the retaining cup edgeor rim, if a sponge large enough to be properly held and retained by thecup is used. This spreading and overhanging of the sponge facilitatesthe objectionable overflowing and running of water down the cup sides.occurring during use of the cup.

'With the above-stated objections to sponge cups or holders asheretofore made in View, I have invented the holder as shown in thedrawings.

In such drawings, A designates a cup or dish of any desired depth and ofany suitable materialfor instance, pottery, china, glass,-

or metal adapted to resist corrosion by water or plated withnon-corrodible metal or material. Instead of carrying the cup or dishsides upward and inward and making the concavity of such diameter as tofit and hold the sponge to be used, as in the holders heretofore made, Imake such concavity larger than the sponge, and preferably make itswalls with an upward and outward slope or inclination, as shown in thedrawings. If desired, however, the sides of the concavity can be made toextend. upward and inward, as inthe cups heretofore made and used; but

they are not to be in contact with or to assist in holding the sponge.

Within the dish or cup A,l place the spongeholder proper, having itsupper edge engaging the sponge B at some distance from the dish or cupedge. 3, such holder consists of several upwardly and inwardly extendingfingers O C, preferably made or cast in one piece with the cup. Suchfingers, which can be of any desired number and are arranged to standaround the sponge and engage it at different points, are separated fromeach other at their bases, so as to leave spaces 0' C, through which anywater in the cup outside of the fingers can fiow inward to thesponge-receiving space. Each finger O is preferably concaved on itsinner side, as shown, to give the best spongeholding action. It is alsomade tapering or diminishing in width toward its top in order tofacilitate the contact of the fingers of the user with the sponge. Theouter sides of its edges are also preferably made rounded or beveled, soas not to leave exposed any sharp edge or angle.

Instead of forming the sponge-engaging holder proper of a series ofseparate fingers,

,as described, it can consist, as shown in Fig.

4, of a continuous flange or rim C extending upwardly and inwardly fromthe cup-walls, and having along its base or lower portion a As shown inFigs. 1, 2, and

series of openings 0 C for the same purpose as the spaces between thefingers in the' holder shown in the other figures of the drawings. Thefingers C C or the flange O can be cast or formed in one piece with thecup or dish A, or can be made separate and fastened in place in anydesired way.

Vhile I prefer to make the fingers O of the shape shown and described, Ido not limit myself thereto, as they can be instead narrow arms or rodsprojecting upwardly and inwardly from the cup interior or having theirupper ends bent inward, so as to best hold the engaged sponge down inposition.

The manner of using my invention is as follows: The sponge B is forcedinto the holder proper, whose upper edge stands within and well awayfrom the edge of the cup A. The sponge when wet cannot then overhang orcome in contact with the cup edge or rim so that water can get from itover such rim, as in the sponge-holders heretofore made and used. Withthe sponge wet either before or after it is put in place within thegrasp of the fingers C O or flange C any water which may flow or besqueezed from the sponge over the edges of the fingers or flange duringuse will simply run down within the dish or cup and flow back to thesponge again through the spaces or openings 0 C.

With the sponge-retaining fingers of the shape and arrangement shown anddescribed, and having their edges rounded on their outer sides, theholder is a mostconvenient and comfortable one for use. The most readyaccess of the fingers of the user to the sponge is afforded, and thereare no exposed sharp edges or surfaces.

IVhile in the sponge-holding cup as heretofore made, with the cup rim oredge engaging the sponge, but little more water than enough to just wetthe sponge could be used at one time, and consequently the sponge couldnot be maintained at the same degree of saturation for any length oftime when in use, I can place in my dish or cup A suflicient water tokeep the sponge thoroughly wet for a long time without any danger ofoverflow or spilling. Such water has constant access to the spongethrough the spaces or openings 0 C, and will be taken up continuously bythe sponge to supply the place of that removed by the fingers of theuser.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. As an article ofmanufacture, acup having a sponge-receiving holder, a rim extendingaround outside of such holder so as to be out of contact with a spongetherein and made higher than the portion of the cup between it and theholder, and one or more openings connecting the interior of the holderwith the space between the latter and the rim, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth;

2. As an article of manufacture, a cup having within it a series offingers adapted to receive and hold a sponge out of contact with the cupedge, at their upper ends made separate and standing away from suchedge, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. As an article of manufacture, a cup havin g within it a series ofsponge-holdin g fingers or projections extending upward and inward withtheir upper ends within and some distance from the edge of the cup,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4.. As an article of manufacture, a spongeholder consisting of a dish orcup having extending upwardly and inwardly within it a series of fingersadapted to engage and hold a sponge, such. fingers being separated fromeach other and made tapering toward their upper ends, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

5. As an article of manufacture, acup having extending upwardly frompoints within and below the level of its rim a series of fingers adaptedto grasp and hold a sponge between them and having spaces between theirsides for the passage of water, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this22d day of July, A. D. 1889.

HENRY CROGGON. Witnesses:

E. T. WHITE, HENRY C. HAZARD.

